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ABOUT YOUR
VIRTUAL TOUR GUIDE
Born a Calgarian, Dave Birrell was introduced to the
mountains as a child through family hiking trips. Since then he has traveled
extensively throughout Canada’s Rocky Mountains by car, on foot, on skis, and by
horseback.
After working for the oil and gas industry as a
geophysicist, Dave put down roots in the small southern Alberta town of Nanton.
As a teacher, he specialized in outdoor education and the incorporation of the
Canadian Rockies into the curriculum.
Dave is the author of Calgary’s Mountain Panorama, 50
Roadside Panoramas in the Canadian Rockies, and www.peakfinder.com, which
includes a huge collection of information and photographs related to the
Canadian Rockies. He has been featured on a CBC radio series related to drives
in the Canadian Rockies and has made presentations to numerous conferences.
Dave is accredited as a Professional Interpreter by the
Mountain Parks Heritage Interpretation Association.
From time to time you will hear the
voices of others who have contributed to the GPS-Audio Tour Guide. Some of the
contributors are:
CHIC SCOTT –Chic is a highly regarded
mountaineer who has climbed extensively in the Alps, Himalayas, and the Canadian
Rockies. He is the author of “Pushing the Limits –The Story of Canadian
Mountaineering” and several other books related to ski-touring and
mountaineering.
BEN GADD –Ben’s “Handbook of the
Canadian Rockies” is the complete and unchallenged encyclopedia of the natural
history of the mountains. He is also the author of the novel “Raven’s End,” and
several other books about the Canadian Rockies.
MICHAEL KERR –A highly sought after
speaker, Michael is the author of “The Canadian Rockies Guide to Wildlife
Watching” and “When Do You Let the Animals Out –A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain
Humour.”
JOYCE MCCART –Joyce is the author of,
“On the Road with David Thompson.”
THE FRIENDS OF BANFF have
developed content that you will hear on the virtual tour guide as well.
We thank these highly regarded authors
for their contributions.
Other voices that you may hear are those
of Jean Berger and Charles Cobb.
-In developing the content for the Sawka
Tour Guide, we had to make assumptions as to the speed that your vehicle would
be travelling. If you notice that a new audio file begins to play before the
previous one has finished then you are exceeding the speed that we assumed
visitors would be travelling during that file.
-We politely remind drivers that your
primary concern must always be the safety of those in your vehicle and others on
our mountain highways (including wildlife). Look at the scenery and other
features that are discussed in the Sawka Tour Guide only when it is safe to do
so.
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